State Roundup, May 14, 2018

KAMENETZ SENDOFF: Political pundit Barry Rascovar in his politicalMaryland blog writes that if Kevin Kamenetz had received the same outpouring of respect, admiration and gratitude in life as he did in death, his political future might have been limitless. His political colleagues heaped immense praise on Kevin for being on top of issues, for dedicating his life to public service and for making Baltimore County government function better. Had he received that level of recognition for his accomplishments during his run for governor, Kamenetz might have been far ahead in the Democratic primary.

UNBOUGHT CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR: Ethan McLeod of Baltimore Fishbowl interviews a little known candidate for governor, Ralph Jaffe. His war chest is $415. You read that right. This is by design. Jaffe, a Pikesville resident and teacher, and his sister and running mate, Freda Jaffe, raised the same amount together in 2016, when he launched a bid for U.S. Senate, and he never went above $490 in prior campaigns for Senate in 2012 or governor in 2010, he says. “You cannot be ethical if you take campaign contributions because you’ve been bought,” he says.

TWO WOMEN FOR PG EXEC: Angela D. Alsobrooks is the only woman ever elected state’s attorney in Prince George’s County. Donna F. Edwards is the only black woman ever elected to Congress from Maryland. The two Democrats are vying to become Prince George’s first female county executive, generating strong support in a county where women have long been politically active and economically successful but say they still have been held back from center stage, Rachel Chason on the Post reports. “It’s our time,” said one Alsobrooks backer.. An Edwards supporter called the candidacies of two such highly accomplished women “a real bright spot for the state.”

CUMMINGS ATTACKS TRUMP DRUG PLAN: As President Donald Trump laid out a plan Friday to reduce prescription drug prices, U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings accused him of abandoning a campaign proposal to allow Medicare to directly negotiate lower prices with drug companies, Jeff Barker of the Sun reports. “I think very expensive champagne will be popping in drug company boardrooms across the country tonight,” said Cummings, a 12-term representative from Baltimore who is the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

BALTIMORE POLICE: On his first day as acting Baltimore police commissioner, Gary Tuggle filed a city ethics statement on Friday that – twice – listed his home address as Baltimore, Md. Tuggle, in fact, lives with his wife in a $760,000 house in Prince George’s County, reports Mark Reutter in Baltimore Brew. The city code requires department heads to live in Baltimore, but it is not clear if this applies to acting department heads.